“Haha, ha, Zhu Ling’s face just now was really ridiculous, hiss—”
“Alright, stop laughing! Have you ever looked at yourself first? What’s the point of fighting with someone so simple-minded?”
Ji Kai frowned as he pulled out another wet wipe from the supermarket and gently dabbed at the split on Li Weidu’s lip. It was strange; although he felt genuinely concerned seeing the scrapes on Li Weidu’s cheek and lip, there was also this inexplicable sense of forbidden temptation.
Just a moment ago, Li Weidu had hugged him, staking his claim, and then without a word, he and Zhu Ling started tearing into each other.
……
In Ji Kai’s hometown, there’s a special term for enemies who draw their swords at the slightest disagreement—they’re called ‘black-eyed chickens.’
He always thought it was strange because he’d only ever seen ‘black chickens’ and had no idea what a ‘black-eyed chicken’ really was.
But just now, after watching those two shamelessly brawl in public, with Li Weidu ending up with scrapes on his face and Zhu Ling sporting a black eye, he finally got a vivid lesson on what that mythical creature looks like!
“You really don’t care, do you! There’s only one supermarket in our neighborhood, how are we supposed to show our faces here to shop again?”
The fight in the supermarket, unsurprisingly, knocked over a bunch of goods, and security had to rush over to break it up—nearly calling the police. In the end, considering that both sides were somewhat prominent, they didn’t want to blow things out of proportion. They settled it by paying compensation before being released from the supermarket’s little back room.
Through it all, Professor Ji was at a loss for words.
Unable to join the fray due to his leg injury, he could only stand there, watching those two idiots go at it, feeling helpless.
But this wasn’t the first time. The previous two encounters also ended up with fists flying at the slightest provocation. The first time was over a seductive—no, a supposedly pure-hearted individual, and the other two times… upon reflection, they were both over him!
Life is really strange.
He used to think that the whole weak and innocent ‘Mary Sue’ act was ridiculous—being fought over by a domineering CEO and a big star… Who would’ve thought? He guessed the beginning but completely missed this godlike ending.
“Hiss, no problem, Director Wang! I’ll make sure Qi Yang and Lin Baoni are in place. Uh, Xia Mingxiu? Getting the Golden Phoenix Award-winning actor might be a bit tricky… I’ll do my best. Yeah, as long as Zhu Ling isn’t in the crew, everything should be fine.”
“Alright, enough!”
Ji Kai took his phone back and hobbled over to calm down his angry Li Weidu.
Li Weidu said, “Don’t worry about it! I just want to give him a hard time so he learns his lesson. What, you still can’t let him go or something?”
“… I can’t let you go, I can’t let you go! Stop talking, you’re bleeding again!”
“I’m fine!” Li Weidu nonchalantly wiped his face with the back of his hand. “If the security guards hadn’t stopped me just now, I would’ve completely dealt with him on the spot! He refused a toast only to drink a forfeit1“敬酒不吃吃罚酒” (jìngjiǔ bù chī chī fájiǔ) is a Chinese idiom that means someone refuses to accept goodwill or kindness and instead chooses to face the consequences or punishment. It’s often used to describe a situation where someone rejects an easy or polite way out, only to end up dealing with a harsher outcome.. He thought the threats I made earlier were just talk, like I really wouldn’t do anything to him, right?”
“Fine. Last time was South America, this time, we’ll just send him straight to Africa!”
“Ouch…” Ji Kai stumbled a bit on the flat ground—all he feels is pain, pain, pain.
“Can you still walk? If not, I’ll carry you.”
“You can’t carry me, you can’t carry me!” His thigh was strained, and he couldn’t lift it at all, so how could he be carried?
“Then how about I carry you in my arms?”
“… What?” Life continued to be full of strange surprises. “In your arms? It’d kill you.”
He’s not kidding—his solid, muscular body was heavy, very heavy!
“I want to try.” Li Weidu caught the challenge in his tone, and his dark eyes slowly flashed with a strange, excited light. Glancing at the gray-tiled villa in the distance, he said, “We’re not far from home anyway, let me carry you through the door!”
“No, no, Weidu, don’t! I’ve already strained my leg. If you injured your back in a minute, we’ll both be bedridden. Who’s going to take care of who… Hey, hey, hey, wait, Li Weidu! Li Weidu!”
Seriously, you can never predict what will happen in the next second of your life.
He, who had just been treated like a brick mover, was now, for the first time in his life, actually enjoying the experience of being princess-carried!
……
As he was carried into the house, Ji Kai, a grown man, felt as shy as a blushing bride, despite his 1.83-meter height.
Gently placed on the soft sofa, Li Weidu finally allowed himself to collapse completely, gasping for breath, all the while laughing uncontrollably as he lay sprawled across Ji Kai.
“Mr. Li, Mr. Li, Weidu, calm down.”
“Haha… I… really enjoy holding you. Let’s do this more often.”
Alright, alright, just catch your breath first! Showing off like this nearly cost you half your life!
“Ji Kai, I… Ha, I really do like you.”
One moment they’re fighting, the next he’s confessing. Ji Kai’s face flushed red, especially when Li Weidu added a little afterthought to his confession, “I like you so much that I can’t even put it into words.”
… Isn’t that exactly what you just did?!
Li Weidu’s fingers gently entwined with Ji Kai’s, slowly caressing them. His voice was muffled, “If only I had met you earlier, that would have been so great.”
“… He met you before I did, and you liked him first. It makes me so jealous. If only I had met you before he did, that would have been so great.”
“But if you had met me back then, you might not like me.”
Ji Kai chuckled softly, brushing against Li Weidu’s soft black hair. “I’m actually grateful we met when we did. Being ‘early’ isn’t always a good thing. I’d much rather meet you at the ‘right time,’ so we can be together for a long time.”
Because I really don’t want to miss it.
It’s like biting into an unripe green plum; when it’s not fully ripe, all it does is make your teeth ache with its sourness. I’ve often thanked the heavens that when I met you, I had already shed my immaturity. At least I had developed a bit of maturity, steadiness, patience, and tolerance.
You know, a few years ago, I might not have been the person I am today.
Back then, I wasn’t mature enough; I still had many sharp edges. Maybe I wouldn’t have understood how to cherish you and get along with you like I do now. Maybe I would have hurt you.
As Ji Kai was lost in thought, Li Weidu’s kiss came down. Their breaths intertwined, entangled in a deep kiss until they could no longer breathe. Gasping for air, Li Weidu’s voice was low and tickled Ji Kai’s ear: “I want… you to show me some love.”
“…” Ji Kai thought, trying to figure out his partner’s unpredictable logic.
Show it to whom? Ji Kai looked around. Show it to Guo Maomao?
“I mean on social media. I’ve already set my status to ‘Baby Bear’s partner,’ but you’ve been keeping me hidden. Not even a hint of me in your Moments!”
Ji Kai was taken aback. “What’s ‘Baby Bear’s partner’?”
“My status! It’s been there for so long, and you didn’t notice?”
“…” Indeed, he hadn’t noticed.
When Ji Kai looked at messaging apps, he usually ignored the little line of text under the username.
So, after thinking he had been showing his love for months, Li Weidu now felt as if a landslide of disappointment had hit him.
And he couldn’t understand Ji Kai’s status at all. At one point, it was something random like, “June 10th, in-class test, East Campus, Step Room 301, don’t be late.”
He had no clue what it meant.
Later, it was changed to “Taken by him,” which was a subtle show of affection, but still not enough. He kept an eye on it, and before long, Ji Kai changed it again.
“Partner of Weidu.”
“Weidu… partner…” Life suddenly felt like a sweet mouthful of honey, and President Li was nearly overwhelmed.
Ji Kai had really tried to think it through. Since he wrote “Bear Baby’s partner,” he had to match it. At first, he thought about writing “President Li’s partner,” but either way… whichever one he chose, it would end up being a cheeky attempt at cuteness.
……
Professor Ji’s injured leg was healing quickly, thanks to the daily care and massages from President Li. Before long, he was back to driving his modest 200,000 yuan VW Magotan2
and heading to work.
The teaching days were genuinely good and especially orderly. Each class was 40 minutes long, and during breaks, Ji Kai would check his phone, replying to Li Weidu’s various messages that outwardly seemed to be about “seeing a cat on the road” or “noticing a crooked tree,” but were actually coded ways of saying “I miss you.”
Thinking back to a few months ago, when he didn’t know Li Weidu well enough and hadn’t anticipated that they would end up together, Ji Kai used to feel some sympathy for the young charmer.
A boyfriend who was a domineering, control-freak CEO, a nerve-wracking bombardment of constant messages—who could tolerate that?
But now, he completely retracted those thoughts. What was the big deal about replying to a few messages?
When someone loves you that much, does all the housework, is handsome and well-built, and, let’s just say, is excellent in bed—so what if they’re a little insecure and need constant attention?
Giving him attention wasn’t a problem at all!
Taking a few minutes every hour to reply to messages was no hassle whatsoever! Plus, no matter how busy one is, thinking about him every few hours is perfectly manageable.
……
At the end of March, it was X University’s anniversary celebration.
One day, while Ji was preparing lessons in his office, there was a knock at the door. The dean and vice dean walked in with a great ceremony.
As the newly recognized young academic leader who had just completed a national social science grant project, Ji Kai was warmly invited to give the opening speech at the anniversary ceremony in the auditorium.
“If you’re assigning the task, of course, I won’t decline. But won’t the other colleagues have opinions? Dean, you know, I took a whole semester off last term, and that social science project was mainly completed by Professor Liu and Professor Zhang.”
The kindly old dean adjusted his reading glasses and smiled. “Don’t worry, Xiao Ji. I’ve already spoken with Professor Liu and Professor Zhang.”
“But, Dean, I remember that Professor Zhang has always wanted the opportunity to give a speech. If he really wants it…”
“This time is different,” the young vice dean interjected, taking over the conversation. “To put it simply, the most important matter of this anniversary is that a donor will be attending! As the ‘face’ of our young faculty, you must give the speech! Professor Zhang understands this completely and is fully supportive!”
“…What?”
“The donor is the owner of a major company, and last year he donated several million yuan to the School of Management and Engineering. Professor Ji, this year, whether our department secures research funding is all on you. Ahem…”
The vice dean leaned in closer and whispered, “Rumor has it, the donor is male, and…ahem, he likes men.”
Ji Kai was appalled.
What happened to the integrity of public universities, free from such shady deals? Besides, I’m already taken!
The vice dean clarified, “It’s just about showing face for the department, not selling yourself!”
“……”
“There are absolutely no unspoken rules! Your only job is to stand on stage, and make the donor feel pleased, and when he’s in a good mood, he’ll naturally donate more funds to our department. That way, we can cover expenses more easily, maybe even renovate the office. Professor Ji, do your best—for the sake of the department!”
……
At the end of March, not only was it X University’s anniversary, but it was also Ji Kai’s birthday.
Li Weidu kept putting off the decision, unable to figure out what birthday gift to give, and grew more anxious by the day.
“I’m not going. Tell them I’m not going!”
“But Mr. Li, the vice president and several deans from X University have personally called to invite you. They’ve even reserved a special seat for you on the anniversary day.”
“Let Vice President Chen go! Isn’t that his alma mater? He was the one who handled the donations before. What does this have to do with me? I’m not an X University graduate.” Li Weidu was at his wit’s end.
“But Vice President Chen is in B City attending a tech expo. You’re the only one available to attend.”
“I’m not going. I need to focus on shopping these days!” What should I buy? Honey? Little dried fish? What should I get for baby bear’s birthday?
Also at the end of March, the apricot and cherry blossoms in the neighborhood were in full bloom.
Early in the morning, Ji Kai pulled open the floor-to-ceiling curtains, revealing a scene of petals fluttering in the wind.
“You’re leaving so early again?” A sleepy and beautiful Li Weidu rubbed his eyes. “Isn’t today Saturday? You usually take the day off.”
“Overtime.” He usually had Saturdays off, but today he had to give a speech!
Dressed casually in everyday clothes, Ji Kai was quietly battling an internal conflict—he had a suit and tie waiting in his office for the speech later, but he still pretended to be a humble, hardworking worker in front of Mr. Li.
Lately, things had been dull. Mr. Li no longer pressured him to study or pushed him to be ambitious. It felt like he had fully accepted this laid-back, easygoing persona. Life had become as calm as a salted fish.
“Ji Kai.”
“Hmm?”
“Kiss me before you go.”
“Okay, okay.”
Of course, the salted fish analogy was just a joke. In reality, life left nothing to be desired. No matter how much of a slacker you became, your domineering CEO still loved you and showered you with affection. What more could you ask for?
“From now on, kiss me every day before you leave.”
Li Weidu, still groggy, was thoroughly kissed a few times, and it felt like all the love he had missed out on in that cold home with distant and unfamiliar parents was finally being fulfilled.
How wonderful, how lucky, to have met someone who didn’t mind his difficult personality.
Someone willing to open their arms and make him feel like the world was full of kindness. And while indulging and pampering him, never spoiled him too much. When problems arose, they were pointed out gently, and as this person gradually understood his nature and temperament, they continually poured trust and love into him until they softened him completely.
His gaze shifted to Guo Maomao, who was sound asleep on a small cushion.
That little guy was the same—facing someone gentle, he retracted all his thorns and became a soft, obedient ball.
……
Ji Kai had barely left when Li Weidu got up to wash up and get dressed.
What should he do? With the anniversary of X University looming, Vice President Chen finally called to beg him to attend on his behalf, leaving him with no way to decline.
“Don’t worry, Mr. Li, it won’t take more than an hour, forty minutes at most. After the speech by the outstanding young researcher representative, you can go up and say a few words, and then you’re free to go.”
Vice Principal Li was at a loss.
What was going on with Mr. Li, who kept insisting he needed to go shopping? His tastes were so peculiar—just like the young women the school had recently hired.
Li Weidu: “Forty minutes is still quite long. Can I go on first?”
“Mr. Li, please just sit for a bit. You’ll be second, right after the opening. Hey, student assistant over there, pour Mr. Li a cup of tea!”
As the aroma of tea wafted through the air, Li Weidu listened absentmindedly to the host’s speech, full of praise for the university’s century-old history and famous alumni.
“And now, please welcome our outstanding scholar from the Law School and the lead researcher of multiple national social science fund projects, Associate Professor Ji Kai, to give the opening speech for our anniversary.”
Li Weidu was startled and finally looked up.
Ji Kai? Same name? Just hearing that name made him happy—maybe he should donate a few more million today.
Then, he saw a man in a suit and tie step onto the lectern under the stage lights.
Tall, with long legs and a slim waist, exuding an elegant scholarly air. His hair was neatly styled, and his cuffs were buttoned precisely. He lowered his eyes and gave a light cough as he pulled the microphone closer, looking mature and composed—completely different from the cheerful, easygoing man who had left the house that morning.
Li Weidu: “…”
“…”
“…”
But why was he up there? What was going on!?
“Vice Principal Li, the man up there…”
“Oh, you mean Professor Ji from the Law Department? What’s the matter?”
“…I know him,” Li Weidu finally managed to say after a long pause.
“Haha, I see! Well, you both have high educational backgrounds and are accomplished young professionals, so it’s natural that you’d know each other.”
“…”
Translator: Lynn
Translations are not 100% correct. Please let me know if there are typos/mistakes in the chapter.
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